GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Have a Cigar Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1974 Fender Stratocaster (David Gilmour's black Strat, maple neck, stock single-coil pickups)
Pickups
Fender single-coil (stock 1970s Strat pickups)
Amp
Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head with WEM 4x12 cabinet loaded with Fane Crescendo 12" speakers
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1975, Wish You Were Here album. Riff section played by David Gilmour. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the riff section. WEM/Fane cabs confirmed as core to Gilmour's tone for this era.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6.5
Gain5.5
Reverb2
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Colorsound Power Boost (likely, but not fully confirmed for riff section) · boost
Fender Stratocaster → (Colorsound Power Boost, likely) → Hiwatt DR103 → WEM 4x12 (Fane Crescendo speakers) (amp spring reverb on low)
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Tone Character
- bright and articulate
- detailed upper midrange
- British crunch
- clear note separation
- slightly compressed
- percussive attack
- dynamic and responsive
- not overly saturated
- tight low end
- cutting through the mix
Notes & Caveats
- No direct source lists exact knob settings for 'Have a Cigar' riff; amp and EQ settings estimated based on typical Hiwatt/Fane setup for Gilmour's 1975 studio tones.
- No explicit pedal evidence for the riff section; fuzz/distortion is not as saturated as Big Muff tones, likely Colorsound Power Boost or amp overdrive.
- No evidence of modulation (chorus/flanger/phaser) or delay in the riff section; only mild amp reverb is likely.
- Pickup choice inferred from tone and Gilmour's typical usage for rhythm/riff sections.
- If new evidence emerges of alternate pedals or effects for the riff, update accordingly.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Have a Cigar' riff features Gilmour's signature mid-forward, British-voiced crunch with a thick, slightly compressed tone typical of a Hiwatt amp and Fuzz Face combo, but not overly saturated. The bass is full but not boomy, mids are prominent for cut, treble is present but not harsh, and reverb is minimal as per 70s production.